They’re more what you’d call guidelines than actual rules. This week we take a look at some of the concepts photographers use to create engaging compositions, why they make images interesting, and how they apply to bird photography.
This week we start to look at composition in bird photos. But if composition is the arrangement of elements in the photo, how do you arrange birds and scenery? Sure, you can’t tell the birds how and where to pose, but you still have a surprising number of tools you can use to create engaging …
Birds have no fingers, so they must scratch with their toes.
Becoming very familiar with the normal behavior of the birds around you makes it much easier to notice abnormal behavior, just like knowing the common species helps you recognize an unusual bird. Unusual behavior is often linked to a physical problem, and photos of it can capture the amazing resilience of birds and their drive …
Obviously, a lot of bird interactions are also examples of other behavior, like child rearing or feeding. From a photographic perspective, I think the main thing to keep in mind is that an interaction between two birds is usually the most interesting thing you can capture in any given scene. Always be on the lookout …
Obviously, a lot of bird interactions are also examples of other behavior, like child rearing or feeding. From a photographic perspective, I think the main thing to keep in mind is that an interaction between two birds is usually the most interesting thing you can capture in any given scene. Always be on the lookout …
Birds are one of the only animal groups where caring for offspring are cared for. Besides birds and mammals, child care is the exception rather than the rule, with most young animals on their own from the time they hatch from their eggs. Birds usually put a great deal of energy into caring for their …
For birds, preening isn’t done out of vanity. Grooming is very important to the well-being of birds and most birds do it several times a day. When preening, birds clean their feathers of dirt and parasites and they also arrange their feathers for more efficiency in flight. Most birds also spread oil from a special …
The old saying “you are what you eat” clearly applies to birds, although more directly it could be “you are how you eat.” The bodies and behavior of birds is often tightly linked to what they eat and how they get it. Feeding is one of the most fundamental behaviors—birds do it every day—but also …
How does bird photography remain fascinating and challenging year after year? A deeper understanding of birds compels us to capture not just the birds, but also their many unique behaviors. Observing bird behavior is fascinating. Some behaviors, like hunting and feeding chicks, are immediately recognizable to us, and reinforce the fact that we are both …